What Is Outpatient Treatment?
Many people imagine that recovery programs require staying in a residential program for weeks, at great cost. You must move away from your friends and family, take a leave from your job, and put other important parts of your life on hold.
Although taking this step is vital for many people recovering from substance abuse, there are other options for people who may not need to stay in a residential program. Outpatient treatment is one of these approaches.
In general, outpatient treatment allows more personal flexibility, such as the ability to live at home, work at least part-time, and go to appointments or treatment on a more flexible schedule. For those who have work, school, or family responsibilities, and are diagnosed with a milder addiction, outpatient treatment can allow a focus on healthy living without sacrificing parts of their life that they love.
How Boca Recovery Center Manages Outpatient Treatment
Boca Recovery Center offers evidence-based treatment that provides support to overcome several addictions, including to alcohol, opioids, tobacco, and stimulants. There is a range of outpatient programs offered for those who either cannot afford residential treatment, do not have a severe addiction, or have support at home from friends and family to focus on recovery.
Boca offers:
- Accessible treatment, so you can get started on your recovery journey right away.
- Personalized care, which is tailored to your needs as an individual.
- Medical management, including prescription detox medications like buprenorphine, provided by doctors and medical professionals.
- Evidence-based treatment, so you only receive support that has been shown to work.
- Social support, so you can strengthen your network of close friends to help you through the recovery process.
- Ongoing treatment, so you know you have support for the full, recommended 90 days of care.
Boca offers two basic types of outpatient treatment: Standard Outpatient Programs (SOP) and Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP). You may move from one type to another, depending on your changing needs.
Types of Outpatient Treatment
Addiction treatment is not a one-size-fits-all solution, so there are several levels of treatment available, depending on the program you are interested in pursuing. Outpatient programs differ from residential programs primarily by not offering residential services, including meals, sleeping arrangements, and group activities like social outings. These needs must be met by the individual attending the outpatient program. For those who have these needs met, outpatient treatment can be an effective type of support.
Boca Recovery Center offers these two types of outpatient programs:
- Standard Outpatient Programs (SOP): The primary focus of standard outpatient treatment programs is to help the individual reduce their substance use, lower the risks of relapse, and lessen any co-occurring medical, psychiatric, and social complications associated with substance abuse. A standard program works best for those who have good support at home and do not have serious financial, housing, health, or other complications that can affect overall stability. Each SOP offers group therapy once per week. Other offered treatments can vary depending on needs, including individual therapy, medication like buprenorphine or naltrexone, services for infectious diseases like hepatitis or HIV, and associated mental health services.
- Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP): Those who have good support at home but need more intensive services to overcome addiction may benefit from IOPs, which require attending therapy and doctors’ appointments more frequently, sometimes even daily. Medication-Assisted Therapy (MAT) is more common in IOPs, so people who struggle with opioid use disorder may benefit greatly from this option. Prescription medication and individual talk therapy are more likely to be components of IOPs too, along with discharge and aftercare planning.
What Treatments Might Be Offered in an Outpatient Program?
Therapy is the center of the recovery process because evidence-based therapy aims to understand triggers for compulsive behaviors and develop better coping mechanisms to reduce the risk of relapse back into substance abuse. Here are some of the types of therapy that may be part of an outpatient treatment program:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
This type of talk therapy is based on the understanding that drug use patterns are learned, even unintentionally, and can be modified with practice and greater understanding. CBT sessions are structured to create goals to be accomplished and focus on immediate problems. Then, progress is discussed and evaluated. There are many branches of CBT, from short-term to long-term, which may be part of a recovery program.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
This approach to therapy is based on CBT, but it focuses more on individuals with complex psychosocial needs, like co-occurring addiction and mental health struggles. DBT was developed specifically for substance use disorder treatment, but it has been effective for other conditions too. Several studies have found that DBT is effective at reducing substance abuse in people who have bipolar disorder, who struggle with suicidality, and who may miss sessions (actively finding those who miss sessions is a core component of DBT).
Group Therapy
Although both DBT and CBT are associated with individual talk therapy, these techniques can be used in group therapy too. Many recovery programs focus on group therapy as the main approach, creating a community of people recovering together. Discussing stresses, coping mechanisms, and other issues can help everyone in the group learn from each other and support each other better.
Family Therapy
Addiction can cause harm to the life of the person struggling with it, but it also impacts loved ones, especially close family members like spouses, children, and parents. Attending therapy sessions with family members, and sometimes even close friends, can help everyone understand the stresses on relationships and heal them, so support from loved ones is stronger in the future. Family therapy can also be important for loved ones to attend without the person overcoming addiction.
Support Groups
Ongoing peer support throughout the recovery process has been found to be the most effective part of addiction treatment. A survey of studies found that people who participated in support groups reduced their risk of drug consumption and relapse, engaged with treatment more readily, reduced and managed secondary substance use behaviors, and were more consistent in getting medical treatment for co-occurring illnesses like HIV or hepatitis.Since outpatient programs offer less consistent peer support, attending support groups associated with your treatment program or groups like AA, which are free and outside most programs, can help you get the social support you need.
Learn if Outpatient Treatment in Boca Raton, Florida, Is Right for You
Outpatient treatment is an excellent option for many people in Boca Raton who may not be able to afford residential or inpatient treatment, who do not have high-intensity needs, or who do not want to put many parts of their life on hold while they get help. Fortunately, outpatient treatment can be customized like inpatient treatment, so get in touch with a recovery program in Boca Raton today to start your journey.
Nonprofit Outpatient Treatment Options in Boca Raton
Since outpatient addiction treatment programs are less expensive than inpatient treatment, you may wonder if it is easier to find nonprofit, Medicaid, or government-based services. There are several options across Palm Beach County, near Boca Raton. Here are some of the better public or lower-cost providers:
- Center for Family Services of Palm Beach County, Inc: This nonprofit organization offers several behavioral health services, including recovery support counseling for those overcoming alcohol and drug abuse conditions. They established Partners in Charge recently to help address Florida’s escalating opioid addiction crisis.This is an outpatient treatment program offering many other services from medication to group therapy to family counseling. It includes services that follow the recovery journey from the time a person starts detox to years down the road when they need to speak with someone about a potential craving. As a nonprofit group, Center for Family Services offers lower cost treatment options and accepts Medicaid.
- The Palm Beach Institute (PBI): One of the more known recovery programs in Florida, PBI has provided treatment services to Floridians for over 50 years. Their medically supervised treatment programs are reasonably priced, and they accept Medicaid. Call to see if your insurance provider is on their list of accepted providers, and ask if they can offer you income-based assistance.
- Tree of Life, Florida: The Tree of Life Foundation is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping the underserved with all their needs. This includes a six-month “restoration” program in West Palm Beach, Florida, which provides supervised addiction treatment services and other necessary services, like help finding education, housing, food assistance, and employment. Six months is much more generous than what many insurance companies provide, which is typically 28 days.
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- Recovery. Center for Family Services of Palm Beach County, Inc.
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- Addiction & Substance Abuse Branch. Tree of Life, Florida.